Controller for electrical apparatus.



F. DARLINGTON.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT.20, 1908.

921 ,642, Patented May 11, 1909.

WITNESSES:

FREDERICK DARLINGTON, or GREAT BARRI NGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WEST- INGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA..

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

Specification 0! Letters Patent.

Patented may 11, 1909.

Griginal application filed March 3, 1906, Serial No. 304,064. Divided and this application filed October 20, 1908.

Serial No. 458,616.

To all whom it may concern:

Be, it known that I, 'Fnnnnnrcn DARLING- TON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Great 'Barrington, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Controllers for Electrical Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, this application being a division of my'ap plication Serial No. 230L004, filed March 3, 1906,

My invention relates to controlling de vices for electrical apparatus, and it has for its object to provide a combination reversing and speed-regulating controller which shall be simple in cmistruction and effective in opcrati on. i

'lhe single figure of the accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view of a system embodying my invention. 1

deferring no'w to the details illustrated in the drawing, a. controller 1 is provided'and employed in conjunction with a transformer 2f or varying the voltage supplied to a motor 3 and thereby varying the motor speed, and also for so reversing the circuit connections to the motor that the direction of its arma- Qture rotation shall be reversed.

The energy for operating the motor 3 is shown as furnished primarily by a singlephase alternating current generator 4, the voltage supplied by such generator being varied through the action of the controller 1, in combination with the auto-transformer 2.

The controller 1 comprises a ratchet segment 5, from one side of which projects a contact arm 6 to engage with the one or the other of two stationary contact terminals 7 and 8, stops 9 and 10 being provided to limit the movements of the arm 6.

An operating lever arm 11 is provided with a pawl 12, which is in position to engage the teeth of the ratchet segment 5, and is provided with a head or piston 13, mounted to operate in a cylinder 14. The head or piston 13 is pressed toward the ratchet segment by means of a co'ilespring 15, and the cylinder 14 is resiliently connected to the arm 11 by means of a spring 16 that normally tends to maintain the pawl and cylinder parallel to the arm 11. I

in order to explain the operation of tlfh controller 1, it may be assumed. that the lever arm 11 is moved from right to left. and that the pawl 12 is thereby caused to engage a tooth of the ratchet segment 5 and move the lever arm 6 into engagement with contact terminal 8 and against the stop 10. As the motion of the. lever arm 11 is continued toward the left, the pawl 12 is pressed into the cylinder 14', against the sprin 15, until it passes the center line of the lever arm 11, whereupon it is a ain pressed outwardly and trails behind the ever arm without actuating or tending to actuate the ratchet segment If the lever arm 11 is moved from left to right from the position shown in the drawing, the pawl 12 trails behind over the teeth of the ratchet. segment, but if the pawl occupies the position on the opposite side of the lever arm it-will engage a tooth otthe ratchet segment and cause the switch arm 6 to move into engagement with contact terminal 7 and against the corresponding stop 9, provided it is not already in that position. It will thus be understood that, upon reversing the direction of motion of the lever arm 11, thepawl 12 is caused to engage a tooth of theratchet segment 5 and effect opera 'on of the reversing switch.

The controller 1 also comprises a plus rality of conducting segments 17, 18, 19, 20, 21., 22, 23 and 24,, that are connected to suitable points in the winding of the transformer 2, by means of spaced leads 25, or to any other suitable source of variable voltages.

It will be understood, without further description, that, inasmuch as the lever arm 11 makes contact with the segments 17. to

24, movement of the said arm in one direction increases the voltage supplied to the motor 2 and movement of the said arm in the opposite direction decreases such voltage, in accordance with well known practice.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a: controller comprising a plurality of conducting segments, and aswitch arm adapted to engage therewith, of a reversing switch, a ratchet for operating the same, and a pawl which is adapted to operate the. reversing switch when the switch arm is moved in a given direction from any position and is automatically adjustable to et't'cct operation of the ratchet only durlng a predetermined range of movementot' said switch arm.

2. The combination with a controller comprising a plurality of conducting se ments and a switch arm to engage therewith, of a reversm switch having a ratchet segment,

and a yielding pawl to engage the ratchet segment for automatically connecting and disconnecting the switch arm and the movable member of the reversing switch with each direction of movement of the switch arm.

I 3. The Combination with a lever and reversing switch having a ratchet segment, a yielding pawl carried by the lever and serv- 121 to actuate said segment and to automatically release it when the contact terminal reaches either of its circuit closing positions.

4. The combination with a lever and a reversing switch, of a single yielding clutch member carried by the movable member of the reversin switch, a cooperating clutch member carried by the lever, said yielding member being disconnected from the other clutch member when the movable member of the reversing switch reaches either of its circuit closing positions.

The combination with a controller comprising a plurality of conducting segments, and a switch arm to on age therewith, of a reversing switch and a c ntch device between the switch arm and the movable member of the reversing switch that becomes active for any position of the switch arm and remains active only during a predetermined amount.

of movement of the switch arm in either direction.

(5. The combination with a switch lever and a yielding spring pawl mounted thereon, of a reversing switch arm pivoted concentrically with said switch lever and having a ratchet segment, and stops to be engaged by said arm to eti'ect release of the ratchet segment from the pawl;

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this tenth (lay of October, 1908.

FREDERICK DARIJNGTON. \Vitnesses: I

J. R. MoOoMB, L. R LA Pom'rn. 

